I am beginning a new quest to begin a consulting business. Of course, with my history, I want to focus on using technology in classroom instruction. This means professional development, evaluation of classroom practice, and technology planning, for the most part.
My deep experience and the results of my work to date are my best assets, I think. I have written, evaluated, and helped K-12 district teams work through all facets of technology planning. In fact, I recently completed a plan for a rather large district in Santa Cruz County, and am currently working with Holy Cross School in developing their plan. We are currently in the data gathering phase, analyzing current status, parent and staff perceptions of how technology is being used, and taking a close look at where everything would like to be in three years. Exactly how technology can be used to support student learning and teacher practice is most critical. This is a case where a lot of wonderful parent support and the purchases made over the last year have really moved the school forward. But, purchasing has not been planned with how students can be supported. Rather, cool ideas have been realized. Now comes the interesting part: consolidating the recent purchases of interactive white boards and a new lab with the nitty gritty needs of teachers and students. Work on!
It will be on to the CUE Conference (Computer Using Educators) in Palm Springs this week. I look forward to seeing friends and looking at the newest vendor offerings. Road trip!
